Republican Blake Moore was the only incumbent member of Congress to take part in the pre-primary debates sponsored by the Utah Debate Commission. He might be regretting that decision after one challenger used the televised forum to muddy the water about his record.
Moore, who is seeking his second term in Washington, is being challenged by former Morgan City Council member Tina Cannon and former military intelligence officer Andrew Badger for the GOP nomination in the 1st Congressional District. Badger repeatedly attacked Moore by accusing him of voting for the $1.5 omnibus spending bill and supporting billions in infrastructure spending. In reality, Moore did neither.
“I wasn’t prepared to be criticized twice for a bill I never voted for,” an exasperated Moore said near the end of the hourlong forum after several tense back-and-forth exchanges with Badger.
“Answer why you voted for a $1.5 trillion omnibus bill, which was loaded with Green New Deal pork,” Badger said during a tense back and forth with Moore.
“I didn’t,” Moore replied. “There were two bills. I voted for the defense-related one.”
The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package passed by Congress in March was at issue. That bill funds the federal government through September. In the House, the measure was divided into two parts. Moore voted for the half that contained $42 billion in increased defense spending and an 11% increase in Department of Homeland Security spending.
Badger also claimed Moore supported the massive infrastructure bill that passed the House earlier this year, before voting against the bill.
“(Moore) also said he was going to support it before he didn’t vote for it at the very end,” Badger said.
For this claim, Badger is dancing in a gray area that relies on a couple of hypothetical scenarios.
When asked to clarify his claim that Moore supported Build Back Better, Badger pointed to a December interview with Moore. At the time, Moore signaled he would be inclined to support a more modest bipartisan infrastructure bill. The smaller bill had the backing of Mitt Romney if a handful of House Democrats opposed the effort to pass the Build Back Better legislation, the multi-trillion-dollar centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.
“If I had confirmation from three more of my House Democrat colleagues, I would have,” Moore said at the time.
That support from Democrats never materialized.
Badger insists his point stands.
“I criticized him for saying he would have voted for the infrastructure bill had he received the assurance that three Democrats wouldn’t support the follow on Build Back Better. I’m just quoting his words from his interview,” Badger said in a text message.
Moore also said he supported the more austere infrastructure proposal from House Republicans with a $400 billion price tag.
It’s not clear whether Badger’s attacks drew blood. Moore’s campaign released internal polling numbers showing him with a commanding lead over Badger and Cannon ahead of the June 28 primary election.
